**7.4. MICA in different species after treatment with PAHs**

In Table 10 are reported the results of the mean levels of immunofluorescence of MICA, revealed in cultured fibroblasts of different species treated with the PAHs, expressed as index numbers.


**Table 10.** Mean values of immunofluorescence of MICA revealed in cultured fibroblasts of different species treated with PAHs. The immunofluorescence is expressed in index numbers respect to solvent control. Different colour of box is related to different increase of this protein.

Only two species, the long-beaked common dolphin (MDC12) and the sperm whale (PMAS1) were treated with PAHs. However, even with this treatment, there is a significant dose/response type increase in the level of MICA in the sperm whale (PMAS1) (Figure 8C). Long-beaked common dolphin (MDC12) showed no induction response.

"Test Tube Cetaceans": From the Evaluation of Susceptibility to the Study of

Genotoxic Effects of Different Environmental Contaminants Using Cetacean Fibroblast Cell Cultures 69

**Figure 9.** A photomicrograph of fibroblast cells of striped dolphin processed for the DNA comet assay. Four normal cells at increasing degree of damaged DNA: normal DNA, low-level DNA damage, DNA

The highest DNA fragmentation was observed at dose C and decreasing DNA tail values were observed from dose C to dose A. The results of the Comet assay evaluated in striped dolphin fibroblast cells processed at three different pHs showed a similar trend (Table 12), although the trend was more evident for the pH 12.1. Our results, although preliminary, suggest that alkaline Comet assay (pH 12.1) is the optimal version capable of detecting the

with a long tail, DNA almost completely fragmented.

DNA damage in fibroblast cells for future analysis.
